Zelda, Princess of the Spiders
by BlueFrenchHorn97
Summary: Halloween hadn't been the same for Zelda since she was a child. But thanks to the relentless nagging of her best friend Karane, she's been persuaded to go out on Halloween once again. But she doesn't end up at the party she expected to go to... Zelink one-shot, Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo.


**So I figured seeing as it's that time of year, I should write a Halloween one shot! I've never done a one shot before but I really wanted to try, and Halloween seemed like the perfect opportunity! I've tried to stick as strictly to canon as possible with this, but it's not 100% (Skyloft doesn't even have a Halloween...) but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway!**

**Thank you to TheHummingInker of DeviantArt for letting me use your cover art!**

**Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

**WARNING: Shameless Zelink fluff ahead!**

* * *

It wasn't often that Skyloft did something like this. Sure, they had a Wing Ceremony once a year, they celebrated the graduation of students into knights, and occasionally they even had beautiful weddings. But they never did anything quite like this... There was no other festival in Skyloft that got everyone, especially the children, quite so excited. Decorations, special foods, costumes and candy only came once a year, on the night of Halloween.

Zelda and her friends had spent weeks in preparation for the big day. Zelda, especially, was keen to make sure that her costume was just right. Halloween was her favourite of all the holidays that they celebrated. When she was a child, she would dress up as a witch or a ghost or a pumpkin and go out trick or treating with Link and his parents. The two of them would run through the paths of Skyloft, swinging bags full to the brim with candy, while Link's parents walked just a few paces behind them.

But after the loss of Link's parents, things changed. By that age, they were old enough to go out around Skyloft without supervision. So Link, Pipit, Karane and Fledge decided to form a group and go around trick or treating together. They had invited Zelda to join them, but she had refused, saying that she wanted to stay at home and help her father out. She didn't tell them that really, she would feel strange trick or treating with anyone apart from Link.

And in every year since, she had stayed at home with her father and handed out sweets to all the kids in adorable costumes that came knocking at the door of the Knight Academy. She would always make the sweets herself the day before and put them into little cloth bags that she could give to the kids. Her father, on the other hand, was in charge of making the delicious spiced punch that he gave out, in paper cups, to parents who were accompanying young children. Last year, he'd even let the Knight Academy students have a half cup when they knocked at his door. After all, they would be adults soon.

But this year, she was doing it differently. Karane had been relentless in her pleading for Zelda to go trick or treating. That's what Karane, Link, Pipit and Fledge always did. The four of them would dress up in spooky costumes and go around the island knocking on every door and getting free candy. Karane was desperate not to be the only girl there that year, so had taken it upon herself to persuade Zelda to go with them.

"Please Zelda!" she had whined as the two of them sat on the plaza in cool autumn air. "It's so much fun and you always miss out on it!"

Zelda sighed. "But I like staying at home and handing out the candy. I get to see Kukiel and Gully in their cute little costumes! Plus it's warmer at home."

"But if you stay at home you don't get candy! Besides, you'll still see Kukiel and Gully while you're out! Please Zelda, it's always just me and three guys! I want another girl to go with."

"Then go with Orielle, or Peatrice, or Kina!" Zelda remarked.

"It's not the same!" Karane insisted. "You're my best friend, I want you there with me!"

"Sorry Karane," Zelda said softly. "I'd just prefer to stay at home."

"That's a shame..." Karane had mumbled as she watched her best friend get up and start to head back inside the Academy. "Link will be so disappointed..."

Zelda felt her stomach plummet as she paused mid-step. She faltered for a few moments, before turning back to Karane. "What do you mean by that?"

Karane raised her eyebrows a little, but answered none the less. "Every year he complains that you're not there. Says he used to love it when the two of you went trick or treating together. I know it'd mean a lot to him if you came."

And that was all that it had taken to persuade Zelda. As she finished tying the purple and black ribbons into her hair, she felt a sinking sense of shame at how quickly she had caved. She should have had more of a backbone, but she'd never been much good at saying 'no' to people, much less her friends.

But in a way, she was kind of glad that Karane had talked her into going trick or treating. It did sound exciting to go out again on Halloween. After all, she didn't have that many years left where she could get away with dressing up and begging for candy. She was determined to make the most of it while she still could.

And, for that very same reason, she worked ridiculously hard on her Halloween costume. This would be the first year she'd been trick or treating since she was nine! She wanted to wow everyone with her costume. Perdita, Link's mother, had taught her to sew while she was growing up, and she was determined to prove to herself that she could do Perdita proud.

Of course, the news that Kina had decided to host a Halloween party in the Lumpy Pumpkin had only furthered her excitement. It gave her an excuse to wear her Halloween costume for even longer, and it actually sounded like a lot of fun! She and her friends had all agreed that they'd head over to the party once they'd finished trick or treating. The party wasn't even due to start until sundown, so the knights had to be roped in to help everyone get from Skyloft to the Lumpy Pumpkin and back in the dark. Nothing could have put a damper on Zelda's excitement.

She smiled into her mirror, seemingly satisfied with her reflection. It seemed that all her hard work had payed off... she'd managed to get exactly the look she was going for. Silky purple and black ribbons were tangled through her golden hair which fell down over her shoulders and onto the top of her dress. The way her hair fell framed her spider pendant perfectly, which was resting on the purple fabric of her dress.

As she stood, she was careful not to catch her skirts on anything. On top of the purple fabric was layer of black netting with the shapes of spiders on it. It was the same material she used to make the sleeves of the dress. She'd even had enough of it left to fashion a small net bag to carry all the candy she'd collect.

Zelda, princess of the spiders, was ready.

* * *

"Wow Zelda, you look great!" Fledge commented as she approached where he stood at the bottom of the staircase. The fake blood that dripped down Fledge's chin glistened beneath his false vampire fangs as he spoke. Zelda had to admit that she was very impressed by his costume. He was dressed all in black, apart from a white shirt. His outfit even included a billowing black cape – it was certainly spooky.

"So do you!" Zelda commented as she approached. "I'm loving the fake fangs!"

"Thanks," he said, before carefully removing them. "They make it a little difficult to speak though."

"I can see why," she replied with a slight giggle. "But it looks great, regardless!"

He thanked her again, before putting his vampire teeth back into place. Zelda glanced through the window and up at the sun. It hadn't yet begun to set, though the air was beginning to cool. By her estimates, that had about an hour or two to trick or treating before the sun went down. That gave them plenty of time to enjoy themselves before heading off to Kina's party.

"Zelda! I didn't expect to see you!"

The call from across the Knight Academy hallway shook Zelda from her reverie. She turned, a little startled, to find a very furry looking Link standing behind her. She raised one quizzical eyebrow as she took in his appearance. He was wearing and old shirt and a pair of trousers that he'd previously complained were too small. He'd cut and ripped them trousers apart, fraying the bottom and tearing holes in the knees. He'd even split the seams at the bottom. In all these little gaps he'd stuck pieces of a fake fur material, the same material that he wore on a false pair of animal ears on the top of his head and had sewn onto the sleeves of his shirt. To top all this off, he'd attached a little fake tail to the top of the back of his trousers.

"A werewolf in the Academy? Father would have a field day if he saw this!" Zelda joked.

"Better not let him see me then," Link replied, his bright blue eyes sparkling in the dim light of the academy as he stepped closer. "Seriously though Zelda... I'm really happy you came," he said, squeezing her hand.

Zelda smiled a little, trying not to pay too much heed to the warmth his hand radiated onto hers, or the flock of Blessed Butterflies flitting around in her stomach. Instead, she stepped back a little, letting go of his hand and spinning to show off her costume.

"What do you think?" she asked.

Link cocked his head to the side, squinting a little. "Spider princess?"

"Princess of the spiders," Zelda corrected. "But you're close enough."

Link laughed. "You look great, and so do you Count Fledge-ula! I like the fake blood!"

Fledge grinned at the nick name. "Thanks! Luv found a potion for me, said it looked just like blood and would work a treat for a costume!"

"She was right," Zelda said, smiling at her two friends.

"So how much candy do you think we'll get this year?" Link asked, raising one eyebrow.

But before anyone could answer, a loud thudding sound rung out from above them, accompanied by a splutter of laughter and the sound of voices. Moments later, Karane emerged from the stairwell, clutching a pumpkin shaped basket to keep all her candy in. She, herself, was colourfully captivating in her jarring tutu dress of countless shades of green. She wore black flower patterned net tights and lime green ballet shoes with matching bracelets. She'd even inked beautiful floral designs all up her arms. But none of this could compete with the set of fairy wings that fluttered as she approached the group. They were large, made of a net material strung over a wire frame, and printed with intricate floral patterning.

"Karane..." Zelda said as her best friend greeted her with a hug. "You look... absolutely stunning!"

"Thank you," Karane said, hiding a blush. "So do you! Sorry I'm late by the way, I was trying to get Pipit's hair to stay up."

Fledge frowned. "Where is Pipit anyway?"

"Right here!" Pipit yelled as he stampeded down the stair case. Zelda watched, absolutely stunned, as he approached. She was a little unsure of how to react to his Halloween costume, and judging by the silence that descended over the group, she wasn't the only one. Pipit, grinning like a lunatic, joined the group and took on the classic pose of his character: one hand on his hip, the other pruning his hair, chest puffed out. Zelda blinked, searching for something to say.

"Groose is going to kill you when he sees you..." Link said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah... but it's worth it for the laugh," Pipit replied, breaking character.

"It's creepy..." Zelda finally said. "You look just like him!"

Sure enough, Pipit was wearing a dark green shirt and a paler green short cape over his shoulders. It must have taken him hours to get his hair to stick up like that...

"Right," Pipit said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "Let's go!"

* * *

Even Zelda had to admit that Skyloft on Halloween was absolutely stunning. It looked far more beautiful than on any other day of the year, and it was all down to the hard work of the townsfolk. Each household had hollowed out the insides of a pumpkin and then carved pictures into the flesh of the ripe, rounded fruit. When a flickering candle was put inside, it created a gorgeous glowing image that stood out in the night sky.

The bazaar had been strung with paper lanterns of countless different colours that sent out long, beautiful shadows. There were even little models of ghosts and witches and blood sucking vampires on the doorsteps of some homes, which Zelda thought was rather amusing, though it did scare some of the younger children.

All the while they trick or treated, Zelda walked subconsciously in step with Link. They kept to the back of the group, swinging their bags of sweets just like they used to do when they were little. Zelda couldn't fight the nostalgic feeling that swelled within her. She could almost feel the shadow of Link's parents behind her, hear their footsteps on the paths, feel their warm hands on her shoulders... almost.

She stayed by Link's side as they strolled through the paths of Skyloft. The two of them hung back, engaging in whispered conversations about how beautiful Skyloft looked that night. They pointed out their favourite carved pumpkins, talked about how they made their costumes, and laughed at Groose together when he tried to pick a fight with Pipit. It felt as though barely a day had passed since they last walked these paths in Halloween costumes, though it saddened Zelda to remember all the years that she missed out on.

"I know I've said this already," Link said in a hushed tone as they walked away from their last house, "but I really am glad that you came tonight, Zelda."

She glanced down at her own costume, too shy to look him in the eye. "You know what? I am too. I've really missed this. Halloween didn't seem right without you."

She didn't see the way his eyes lit up at her last comment, didn't notice how he couldn't help but smile. She didn't even notice the bright blush that flooded his cheeks.

"Come on guys," Pipit said, saving Link from any further embarrassment. "Let's go find a knight to give us a lift over to Kina's party."

So the group approached the edge of the island together. Pipit pressed his fingers to his lips, whistling loudly to catch the attention of a trio of knights. They swooped over on their night-trained loftwings and helped Pipit, Karane and Fledge clamber up. The knights promised Link and Zelda that they'd return for the, before flapping away into the starlit sky.

"This party sounds fun," Zelda said timidly, breaking the silence.

"I guess so..." Link replied.

Zelda frowned, turning to face him. "You don't sound so sure?"

He sighed. "I guess I just miss how Halloween used to be. We used to get lots of candy with my parents and then when they thought we were in bed we'd sneak out together... Do you remember that?"

Suddenly Zelda was dragged back to the rat-tat-tat of tiny hands on her window. She'd leap from the bed to throw open her bedroom curtains. And there he'd stand, his blue eyes far too big for a tiny round face like his, beaming in through her window in the dim light... Link. She'd push open the glass and he, making sure he was as quiet as possible, would help her out of her window.

And then the two of them would race through the deserted pathways of Skyloft. They'd tear up the steps to the statue of the goddess, their feet in child-size boots tapping against the wooden ground. And there they would sit at the feet of the statue, chomping through bags of candy and sweets and giggling with toffee gummed mouths.

"I loved that..." Zelda whispered.

"So did I..." he said, casting his gaze out to the knights, who were nearing the Lumpy Pumpkin. He held his breath for a moment, thinking. "So why don't we just not go to the party?"

Zelda paused. "But what about Pipit and Karane and Fledge?"

"Fledge will be fine with Kina," Link said. "And I know that Pipit wanted some time alone with Karane tonight. Come on... let's go back to the statue of the goddess like we used to as children..."

Zelda wasn't sure whether it was the pleading tone of voice, the desperate glimmer in his eye or just having Link in such close proximity, but she knew that she couldn't say no to him.

* * *

"Six... seven.. eight..."

Zelda reached back into Link's bag of sweets, pulling out a couple more soft chocolate covered raisins. She judged her aim, and with a quick flick of the wrist sent a small sweet flying through the air. Link, ever keen, leapt up off the ground and snapped the tiny treat in between his teeth.

"Nine..."

"One more..." Link said as he chewed the raisin. He stood with his legs slightly apart, knees bent, swaying a little from side to side. It's what Commander Eagus called 'the ready stance' when sword fighting. Of course, the same stance was also used when acting on a bet that one could catch ten chocolate raisins in a row. The skills were transferrable.

Zelda watched as the last chocolate raisin flew through the cold air. Link, never taking his eyes off the tiny sweet, took one step forward and opened his mouth wide. Moments later, his mouth clamped down around the raisin as he pumped the air in his victory dance.

"Ten!" Zelda squealed, laughing. "That's pretty impressive, Link!"

"Why thank you," he said, bowing low as he chewed.

"I bet you even Groose couldn't beat that," Zelda said.

"I'd like to see him try," Link quipped as he made his way back over to Zelda, sitting down next to her on the smooth stone paving slabs. A moment of contented silence settled over the two teenagers as they looked up at the stars shining over Skyloft. Together they sat, beneath the statue of the goddess in utter peace. Zelda couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, but there was something very comforting about having her best friend beside her on such an unusual night. She didn't know if it was the way her tapped his foot to some imaginary beat, how his shoulder rested just above and beside hers, or even just the rhythmic sound of his breathing. She just knew that something felt right.

"I'm sorry I left you..." she gushed, feeling the sudden urge to say it.

She watched as Link's brow furrowed in confusion as he turned to look at her. "What are you talking about?"

Her long fingers began to play with the netting of her hand made Halloween costume. "All these years... I should have been out with you but I was a coward, I just stayed at home. I was being selfish, it was stupid, I just-"

"Oh Zelda," Link said, cutting her off. He reached out one furry arm, wrapping it around her tiny frame and pulling her closer to him. She turned her head so it rested against his collar bone, feeling the warmth radiate from his skin. "You worry yourself too much..." he said softly. "I'm not going to pretend that I didn't miss you... but it wasn't selfish. Nothing you've done has ever been selfish..."

She sat quietly for a few moments, just soaking in his warmth and the sound of the air passing in and out his lungs. She didn't want to move, didn't want to break the moment.

"Thank you..." she whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I don't know what I'd do without you," he replied. She felt his hand softly touch the side of her head as he cradled her in the starlight. She just lay there, listening to the thumping of his heart deep inside his chest. In the back of her mind, she pictured herself dancing with Karane at Kina's party. She imagined carving a pumpkin with Fledge or helping her father to serve his spiced punch. None of that could even come close to being with Link.

Slowly, carefully, he planted a kiss on the very top of her forehead before pressing his cheek against the same spot. She felt the warmth on her skin, the place where just seconds before his lips had been... The very thought made her fragile hands tremble as he pressed warm fingers between hers, interlacing them. She knew in that moment that this wasn't what best friends did...

"Happy Halloween," Link whispered in a voice too easily stolen by the wind.

* * *

**I know! I'm sorry they didn't kiss, but I wanted to stick to canon wherever possible and Link and Zelda aren't officially together in the game... plus, I love implied romance, it really just makes me feel all warm and fluffy... anyway, HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!**

**Side note****: Out of curiosity, what are you thoughts on a different tense and perspective? **


End file.
